Anchor



Oct; 27, 925.' 1,559,006

E. RITCHIE ANCHOR Filed July 19, 1921 2,8heets-Sheet 1 0a. 27, 19251,559,006 E. RITCHIE v ANCHOR Filed July 19, 1921 2 sums-sum 2 x Irrzeya.

Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNIT D nwmnaimma or esrq ee e SI-e ee we 'Qr' eenie eue Q-R eon:

AN e'eoa eneflee application filed July 19, 1921. Serial no. 45 ,12.

cation, reference being had to the accom-- panying drawings- Myinvention relates to marine anchors and'has for its objects theproduction of such an anchor that possesses increased efficiency inproportion to weight over anchors heretofore devised; which has improvedmeans for insuring its holding efl'e'ct and for tripping the anchor; andwhich is designed and adapted, when raised, to hang true and snugagainst the ships side wher-' ever it is designed to be hung.

What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detailand succinctly'set forth in the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, I

Figure I is a side elevation of my anchor showing its parts in thependent position in full lines, and showing-in dotted lines 'th draw-barswung to one side. 7

FigureII is a View similar to Figure 1, except that in Figure IIfthelatch of the draw-bar is shown in full lines in the latched position andin dotted lines in the unlatched position preparatory to-tripping theanchor. Figure III isa view corresponding to that shown in full linesinFigure 'I, but" at right angles to that figure.

"Referrin to the numerals on the drawings: 1 and 2 indicate the twosides of-the shank of m anchor which is preferably made of one piece andbifurcated so as to dethis said sides,-from toe 3 to crown 4. At

the open end of the shank nearthe crown 4 the sides 1 and 2 are securelyunited, pref: erably by a cylindrical cross-piece 55 which constitutes afixed shaft for the pivotal accommodation upon it, between the sides 1and 2, of a trunnion-,he'ad7, which is perforated by an oblong slot 8,that is disposed in longitudinal alignment with the longi: tudinal axisof ajrotative draw-bar 9"of which the trunnion-head 7 forms one ,end.The width ofv the draw-bar 9 is sufiicier itly less than-that of thedistance between the sides 1 and 2 to permit free oscillation or evenrotatory movement of the draw-bar in the space between the sides.

For the free accommodation of the movement of the trunnion-headrotatively about the cross-piece 5, I provide an enlarged recess' 10that is defined on opposite sides by oppositely curved flanges and 12.There are two flanges 11 which project from the re spe'ctive sides 1 and2, one towards the other.

In like; manner the flanges 12 are oppositely disposed upon therespective side-pieces 1 and2, the flanges 11 and 12 being arranged inlongitudinal disposition in respect to the draw-bar 9. The external andthe internal or opposing contours of the respectivepairs of flanges 11and 12 are definedby'coaxial curved faces 15 and 16, and 17 and18frespectively. Against the opposing faces 15 and 17, the trunnion-head 7bears, alternate,

according to the position in the slot' 'occu'pied by "the ESS-pieced Thelocation of the faces '17 is nearer the crown {1 and'that of the faces15 is the more remote therefrom, and their respective functions aredistinct. The function of the'faces 17 is'to arford a bearing for thetrunnion-head 7 and so to relieve the cross-piece 5 of theweight of theanchor when it is sustained by "the draw-bar 9, as hereinafterexplained. The

function of the faces 15 is to afford a guidestop to the trunnion-headwhen tension upon the draw-bar pulls the trunnion head -in a directionaway from the faces 17.

The thickness of the draw -bar 9 is reduced, as indicated at 20, toaccommodate the presence of the flanges l1 and 12 to the free movement,longitudinally and rotatively, of the ,draw-b'ar between them. f Thelongitudinal extent of said redution ofthiekness of the draw-bar isdefined at one end by the trunnion-head 7 and, at the other end, bysnubs 21 and 22 disposed respectively upon opposite sides of thedraw-bar. The presence of the external curved-faces 16 and 18is toaccommodate the presence of the snubs -21 and 22 to the relativemovement of the draw-bar 9 about the'eros'spiece .5; but the faces 16havethe distinct function of cams in guiding thesfil bs 21 and 22towardsmedial cams 23 and'24: pro vided' upon the flanges 11, respectivel asoften as the draw 'ba'r 9' isiswu'a 'nam either side into the spacebetween the'side-pifeces 1 and 2. The effectiof" the "actien of thesnubs 21 and 22 againstjthe medial camsl23 and 24 is to iiinparta thrustniovement to tudinal axis. The purpose of said thrust movement is todrive the free end of the draw-bar that terminates in a latch 25 intooperative engagement with a keeper 27 formed on the inside of the toe 3,and that engagement is maintained so long as cooperation of the snubs 21and 22 and the medial cams 23 and 24: continues.

The latch end of the draw-bar 9 is provided with a shackle 28, of anysuitable and preferred form, as means for attachment of a cable 30 tothe anchor; and the operation of the anchor and of the draw-bar isdependent upon such attachment, in the manner to be presently described.

The anchor head comprises four flukes 31,

. of which two are disposed upon opposite sides of each of theside-pieces 1 and 2. They have in effect the ri in action u on the a I 6a: V 1 ground of the mushroom type of anchor, out are distinguishedtherefrom 111 form and function Io havin each oair se )arated b Y 3 b ltoppling ends 32 and 33, each of which is preferably of semi-circularoutward con tour.

Each fluke is preferably claw-shaped and defined by an external curvedface 34 which takes into the ground and grips 1t tenac1ously until theshank 12 15 lifted to the tripping position. The curved face 3% servesthe further function of facilitatin the O presentation of the flukes ofthe anchor in operative gripping position. Tension on the draw-bar 9operates to throw the anchor over into such position if, On lowering,the shank 12 of the anchor should extend in the opposite direction fromthat of the draWbar. The office of the toppling ends 32 and 33 is toinsure, in every presentation of the anchor against the ground, thethrowing of the anchor upon one or the other of its sides, in whichposition oblique tension upon the cable 30 is certain to effectengagement of V the flukes with the ground.

I prefer to provide upon opposite sides of the crown 4 fins 35 upon thebottoms of the toppling ends 32, and 33, respectively. Besidesstiffening and weighting said toppling ends, they define, upon theiropposite sides, pockets 36 which will, by gathering sand, afford atemporary make-weight to the anchor that will tend to hold it to itswork. I prefer, also, to provide upon the trun nion head, diametricallyopposite the draw bar 9, a lifting-lever 37 which will, by tensionapplied to the draw-bar through the cable 30, exert a lifting forceagainst the ground to pry the anchor loose, whenever it is desired totrip the anchor preparatory to raising it.

The operation of my anchor in service may be briefly described asfollows.

When not in us it is suspended, as shown I in Figure I, by the draw-bar9 from the cable 30 attached to the shackle 28, and hangs nasaooesnugly, as against the ships side, from any usual or preferred point ofsuspension.

When dropped, the anchor meets the ground, it may be assumed, in anyconceiv= able manner of presentation.

presentation what it may, the anchor will ultimately, by reason of itsshape and under tension upon the cable 30, assume a position in which itis supported on one side by the flukes 31 on that side and by the toe3,.the cable being disposed so as to pull the drawbar 9 towards the toe,as shown in Figure H. In that position, if the shank 12 be locatedbeneath the draw-bar relaxation of tension upon the cable 30 will permitthe weight of the draw-bar 9 to compel it to fall into the space betweenthe shank sidepieces 1 and 2. That drop into place of the draw-bar wiil,in consequence of cooperation of the medial cams 23 and 2a with thesnubs 21 and impart end-thrust to the drawbar and compel engagement ofits latch 2:";

with the keeper 2?. 1f the draw-bar 9 is beneath the shank 2 tensionthereon 0perates through the flukes of the anchor to depress the shankwith a holding or latching effect against the upward pull of thedrawbar. Afterwards all tension upon the cable in a direct-ion obliqueto the vertical and from the cross-piece 5 will be communicated to theanchor to force it with holding effect against th ground, as may bebetter understood upon reference to Figure 11.

In order to trip the anchor, pull upon the cable is made, in the usualmanner, tending to bring it into vertical alignment with the shackle 28,as shown in dotted lines in Figure IT. The effect if the draw-bar 9 isheld by the keeper 27 is to force the round end of the latch 25 againstthe curved face of the keeper 2?, and thereby to free the drawbar 9,whose retreating movement is permitted by slip of the walls of the slot8 upon the crosspiece 5. Thereupon, continued lift of the draw-barimparts movement to the lifting lever 37, with the functioning effectthereof already specified to facilitate the loosening of the anchor fromthe ground in the operation of tripping it. If the drawbar and shank areheld with latch effect by oppositely acting forces and not by the keeper27, the tripping is effected in like manner but without the necessity ofextricating the bar 9 from the keeper 2?.

TV hen the anchor is lifted free of the ground, it will fall, by actionof gravity, into the position shown in Figure I, which is the positionfirst above referred to in the foregoing description of operation.

What I claim is:

1. An anchor comprising an integral bifurcated shank, toe piece, andlateral fiukes, combined with a draw-bar movably and pivotally attachedto the shank and means for compelling presentation of the flukes to Bethe point the'ground under tension exerted upon the drawbar.

2. In an anchor of the kind described, the combination with a bifurcatedshank, and cross-piece uniting the sides of the shank near its open end,of a draw-bar provided with a slot for reception of said cross-piece,oppositely acting members upon the shank and draw-bar adapted to impartend-thrust to the draw-bar under impulse of swing of the draw-bar, saidmembers cooperating with mechanism provided for latching the draw-bar tothe shank under tension on the draw-bar in one direction and forreleasing them under contrary tension.

3. In an anchor, the combination with a bifurcated shank having a toe,sides and flukes thereon, and a cross-piece uniting the sides of theshank near its open end, of a draw-bar provided with a longitudinallyslotted trunion-head upon the cross-piece, opposite curved flanges uponthe shank sides for the accommodation of the trunnion-head, a latch onthe free end of the draw-bar, a keeper on the toe, medial cams upon onepair of the curved flanges, respectively, and snubs upon opposite sidesof the draw-bar for operative engagement with said cams, all cooperativesubstantially as set forth.

4:. An anchor comprising an integral bifurcated shank, toe piece, andlateral flukes,

comprising curved combined with a draw-bar movably attached combinedwith a draw-bar movably attached to the shank with latching effect, alongitudiinally slotted trunnion-head upon the draw-bar and means forcompelling presentation of'the flukes to the ground under tensionexerted upon the draw-bar, said means 7 toppling ends, substantially asdescribed, pocket-defining fins upon the bottoms of the respectivetoppling ends and external curved faces in the flukes.

6. In an anchor of the kind described, the combination with itsbifurcated shank, and flukes upon opposite sides thereof, of a draw-barpivotally mounted between the sides of the shank and a lifting levercarried by the draw-bar upon the opposite side of its pivotal support.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD RITCHIE.

